l leave Colours Budapest Hostel around 9.45am and head to Fearenc ter to catch the metro 3 to the last stop on that line, Kobi Kismet. From there bus 200E will transfer me to Ferenc Liszt International Airport. I had read online that I needed two tickets, one for the metro and one for the bus, but no one bothered checking tickets at airport, and the bus validation machine didn’t work anyway, so it was a bit of a waste of 350 HUF for the second ticket.

The metro takes around 20 minutes, and the bus another 20-30 minutes with several intervening stops along the way.  The check-in for EasyJet is at Terminal 2 B (T2 has A&B sides). I have to wait in the queue even though I checked in online as there is no separate bag drop line , ah well.

After checking in I go to the gates but it’s confusing as we’re directed back towards T2 A, a woman waves us on saying ‘all flights, all gates’. People look slightly confused but we go where we’re told and end up in the right place. T2 A must be where the majority of the flights leave from, with T2 B an extension for the cheap airline check in desks like easyJet and Whizz Air.

Going thru security, I think I’ve been clever by removing all liquids and gels whatsoever from my backpack but it’s directed towards the ‘check’ conveyor anyway. An official at the end grabs it and swabs the bag and I think ‘great, how to explain I’ve been in a hostel and whatever’s on my bag isn’t  mine.’

Then there’s some yelling back and forwards and pointing to the machine alongside. Whatever they stopped my bag for I’ll never know as it’s just handed back with a thank you. Machine malfunction?

I head through to the departure lounge to find gate A19, the very last gate. Eventually there’s an area where you need to use your boarding pass to get through some sluice doors for gates A12-A19. I hold mine up to the scanner but it beeps and says it’s too early to board. I fall back confused and then see a sign that says don’t enter this area until your flight is on the screen. Ok.

I wait until flight is on the screen and try again. Still no-go, I guess it means you have to wait until ‘gate’ is on the screen, even though the gate is marked on my boarding pass. Sure enough when gate 19 is on the screen. I can go through. It’s obviously for crowd control but I’m not sure why at this point. The other sign saying there are limited toilet facilities after the sluice gates is a clue.

After going through a corridor and downstairs we reach a makeshift type grey warehouse building with several different entrances. I spot signs that say Nice, Basel and at the end Venice. Wow, ok, it’s an EasyJet departure lounge tacked onto the airport where passengers are corralled like cattle with no facilities and no comfort seating. Interesting. I guess it’s a cheap flight but EasyJet is pushing the boundaries of being a competitive airline a little here, in Budapest at least.

We herd there for 10 minutes then the doors open and we go through into a covered outdoor corridor to line up to board. We wait for ages and we literally see the incoming passengers leaving the flight that’s just come in, which is a first.

Finally on board, I help a kid lift his baggage into the overhead locker and listen to friendly banter of an Italian steward. He tells me to put mine in the overhead locker as I’m in row 10 and sitting next to an emergency exit, which is always the short straw of seats. We take off 15 mins late but the captain assures we’ll arrive 10 minutes early

I’m starving hungry so get some food from the bistro menu, a wrap, smoothie and cookies which comes to €8.50. The cookies are really yummy and have a gooey centre, I restrain myself from buying another packet. They’re definitely the highlight of the flight.

The flight is only an hour but we fly with the seatbelt sign on for most of that due to ‘turbulence’ but I don’t feel any except a slight bumpiness towards the end. But the stewards are adamant about staying seated, especially one with an American accent who I note from her badge speaks English and French. To the point where passengers are dissuaded from going to toilet and hustled back to their seats (I assume to cross their legs).

As well as food and duty free items you can also buy tickets to Venice on board for 8€ one way and €16 return from the airport. I assume this is for the water taxi or bus but since I’m going to Trieste by train it’s a moot point but it’s an extra convenience offered which is nice.

As we come into land some Japanese tourists become animated and start taking photos out the window. The right hand side of the plane must be the best for views of Venice I note. I’m on the left hand side unfortunately. The guy next to me wakes up and sees we’re over land and snaps a photo of the view. I hope he doesn’t think the industrial park below is actually Venice.

We land in Venice 10 minutes early with no hassles and luggage collection is easy and since I’m in the Schengen zone there’s no passport check which makes it even quicker.

I haven’t been to Marco Polo airport before so I’ve assumed I can catch a train to Trieste from there. Wrong. There’s only a water taxi and bus. The trains go from Venice-Mestre so I have to catch a bus to there and then a train to Trieste. 

But there’s a well signposted and well manned public transport desk to the left when you exit so I buy an €8 bus ticket from there and when I get to the Mestre station, a €13 second class ticket to Trieste. In hindsight I should’ve asked if I could catch a bus to Trieste from Marco Polo but if I have to choose between 2 hours on a bus or a train, the train will always win out every time.

The post Review: EasyJet Flight, Budapest to Venice appeared first on etrip.tips.

Day Zero

Ange is good to me. She noticed that my flight into Budapest landed after the public transport stopped running, and suggested I book a taxi. A quick internet search later, I had pre-booked a cab with the promise that there would be a driver waiting with a sign with my name on it, and a private car into the city. Judging by the line of people waiting at the taxi stand, this was an inspired move!

The greeter had a couple of names on the erasable white board and I was instantly suspicious that they’d try to load more passengers into my cab (it was late, I was tired and grumpy). But no, I arrived and said which name was mine, and the greeter called someone on her phone and then told me the driver would be five minutes.

Three minutes later my driver came in, I picked up my bag and we headed to the Budapest boutique hotel we were staying at, the Milford Suites in the shadow of the castle on the Buda side. The transfer only cost €26 from airporttransfersbudapest.com.

Day One

After a relaxing night’s stay at Milford Suites, Ange & I headed across the river to Pest by metro and checked into Budapest’s Kempinski – Kempinski is Europe’s oldest luxury 5 star hotel group.

The problem with arriving late somewhere is that the following day you are exhausted before you even start, so we’d planned to take it easy and just do a Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour with City Sightseeing.

It was confusing which one to choose, with the number of routes, companies, tickets and add-ons making the complexity a bit overwhelming. One came with a couple of boat tours, a night tour and a discount booklet, so we decided that we would go with their 48hour pass, allowing us a bit of flexibility on when we went on the tours.

Budapest Restaurant – Boom n Brass

Decision made, we headed into the main square to have lunch and Ange saw a bargain out of the corner of her eye: three courses for €10 at the Boom n Brass. The restaurant is super touristy – right on the main square, but the food is good and we’re exposed to the Hungarian practise of adding paprika to everything.

The Esterházy torte for dessert is a particularly welcome revelation, with interesting layers of what we originally thin is bread but what I later find out are almond meringue dough.

Budapest Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour

After lunch we find one of the ticket sellers for the City Sightseeing company we had selected for the Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour and went to the office with her to get the tickets, and then followed her directions to the nearest bus stop. We stay on the bus for a full circuit – the funniest part is the stop at the Citadel: there’s some sort of traffic jam at the top so our driver reverses down from the carpark to the road at an eyebrow raising speed!

Budapest Synagogue

After the tour we go past Ange’s previous hotel – Arcadia Hotel Budapest – and head towards the Synagogue.

I frown at the time – it’s 5pm on a Friday and I think that means it will be closed for the Sabbath. Ange looks online and says that its open ’til 8pm each day so we carry on towards it. When we arrive the ticket booths are closed but there are signs up saying you can buy tickets online. I frown again because the entrance looks totally closed up.

We wander along the front as Ange reads further and confirms that it closes at 4pm on Fridays. Ah well. We grab a snack and head back towards the hotel instead, gelato for Ange and a pizza-style pastry for me.

Budapest Restaurant – Vapiano

We look online for somewhere to eat and find that the Italian place where we had turned up at closing time in Vienna had a branch just around the corner from our hotel here in Budapest. Ange loves Italian! So we head over there and the confusion starts.

First of all we go to the ladies at the counter at the entrance, as you would at any restaurant and ask for a table for two. They ask if we’d been here before and we, of course, say no. She says they’re a self serve restaurant and to select what you want from the menu, find a queue and order. Then she hands me and Ange a credit card sized card each, and then turns back to her coworker and continues her conversation with her.

Ange and I look at each other. It’s not often that I am just as clueless after receiving instructions as before, but we figure we’ll give it a go and see what happens.

We had been pointed to the only English language menu which was stuck on the wall, and so head over and select what we want to eat – carbonara for Ange, bolognese for me.

Then we watch other people at the queues. Above the cooking stations are signs saying what kind of things they cook: pasta or pizza. At the head of the queue are stations with a tray, napkins, cutlery etc. So you grab that stuff and tell the cook what you would like and then they make it there and then in front of you and get you your drink as well.

Then you swipe your card at a machine and that loads the bill onto it. after eating as you leave you pay the ladies at the cashier. I imagine that there’s some sort of security in place – I suspect if they opened where i was brought up, people would just eat and then “lose” the card and walk out. Before too long Ange gets to the front of the queue and orders her carbonara and even gets to select her pasta.

There’s a handy sign with pictures of the different pastas and they come in single size packets which the cook empties into what looks like a french fry basket and then dunks into a vat of boiling water. He then proceeds to add all the components to a wok and cook the meal right in front of us. So fresh!

A couple of days later we happen to be walking by and in the window I see someone making the pasta and then filling the single serve bags, ready for that evenings meals. It’s a different kind of set up – almost adding fast food ordering to Italian cuisine. I’m not sure what the purists would think!

On the way back to the hotel we stop off at a supermarket and get food for breakfast. I just can’t see how any breakfast could justify the €32 that the hotel is charging!

Day Two

The next day promises to be a bit busier and we have breakfast, check out of the Kempinski and store our luggage there. We’re in two minds of how to get to the Széchenyi Thermal Baths and in the end elect to take the metro instead of utilising the Hop-On Hop-Off bus. The M1 is the Millennium line – the oldest metro on the continent apparently, and the carriages themselves are quaintly old fashioned.

Budapest Baths Széchenyi

We eventually figure out how things work with the Széchenyi Baths – you get a plastic watch upon entry, plus a super-coat-hanger and enter the complex by holding the watch to a sensor on the turnstiles. Then you’re confronted by a line of doors – like priest’s confessional booths. These are the changing booths and it’s all unisex.

The booths have doors on both sides and little coloured wheels at knee height which tell you if the booth is occupied or not. Once you get into the booth and close the doors you see that the bench at knee height has a hinge and an additional piece which folds out. By folding it out you lock both doors (they open inwards) and at the same time on the outside the little wheels turn to show that the booth is occupied. Clever!

After changing you go through to the lockers, which are opened with your watch. There you store all your clothes on the super coat hanger which nicely fits into the locker. Then close the locker, hold the watch to the sensor and when the light flashes green you have a second to flick the little switch to lock the locker. Opening it is the same – hold the watch to the sensor and you have an instant to flick the switch to open it.

Then it’s around the corner to the towel hire place, where you can also rent robes, bathing caps and slippers. Finally ready to get wet, you head into a labyrinth of 18 pools – 15 inside, 3 outside, of various temperatures. Theres also a sauna and steam room. Some of the pools are the cold plunge pools and some are barely heated and are marked for swimming and you have to wear swimming caps.

The three outdoor pools are huge. The biggest is marked as being for swimming and a lifeguard stands watch, periodically blowing their whistle and motioning to people that because they aren’t wearing a swimming cap that they should leave. They love blowing that whistle!!

The outside pools have water features which pour water out into the pool, allowing you to stand with the water thudding onto your shoulders giving a lovely massage. One of the pools has water coming up through the floor so you can stand on the jets and allow your self to be massaged by the water. And one of the pools has concentric walls and a flow of water making a whirlpool effect. So there’s plenty of variation.

After we explore outside, we head through the inside pools. Whenever there are too many people, we just leave to find a more sparsely populated one. Our fingers are soon wrinkly and eventually we decide that we should head off. I think we managed to get to 11 of the pools.

Budapest House of Terror

We head back to the metro and two stops away we pop up into the brilliant sunshine and head towards the House of Terror Museum which housed the Arrow Cross Party during World War 2 and the Secret Police during the communist era.

Breakfast was a long time ago so we grab a snack at the cafe before heading into the museum. The museum itself is brilliant – well laid out and engaging exhibits. Its definitely worth getting the audio guide as the alternative is a lot of reading. The subject matter is rather dark and the fact that the museum occupies the same building where a lot of the atrocities took place gives it additional poignancy. Photography is not allowed inside.

It’s a bit of a relief to leave the museum and re-emerge into the sunshine – a relief which turns to wonder as a cavalcade of motorcycles rumbles up the street towards Heroes Square. There must be over a hundred motorcycles, accompanied by police and tooting their horns and revving their engines. We never do find out exactly what that was about…

Anyway, we head back into town and pickup our luggage and then check in to our  the St George Residence All Suite Hotel Deluxe Budapest.

It’s a bit of a hike from the bottom of the hill in Buda to the hotel which is right at the top. It’s a relief when we discover one of the elevators that allows us to avoid a section of steps. We only have time for the briefest of rests before heading back out, this time to catch the tour boat (part of the Budapest Hop On Hop Off Bus & Riverboat pass deal) at Jetty 10 in time for the 5pm sailing.

The City Sightseeing boat trip is supposed to take an hour, giving us two hours before the night bus tour to grab something to eat. We do manage to get some photos on the way, but it’s very much a mad rush across to the jetty.

Budapest City Sightseeing Riverboat Tour

We’ve almost left it too late and we arrive at the jetty after power walking across the Széchenyi Chain Bridge and along the river side.

With a sigh of relief we go to board the boat when the staff member checking tickets tells us that there is a regatta on the river so we may be delayed getting away – the last two tours have been delayed by 15 and 30 minutes respectively. Typical!

Even if we’re 30mins delayed getting away, we figure we’ll be ok with 90minutes to have dinner and get to the starting point of the night tour. We get on board and grab a seat on the lower deck. We avoid the upper deck because though it has unrestricted views in all directions, the sun has come out and is beating down quite ferociously.

I settle in while Ange gets up to go and get ice creams from the vendor on the jetty when the boat staff pull up the gangway and we set off, a mere five minutes after our scheduled departure time. Talk about mixed emotions: I’m happy to be underway, but… no ice cream!

The boat tour heads up the river, past the Hungarian Parliament building, around Margaret Island and then back to the jetty. We’ve made the turn and are heading down the Buda side of Margaret Island when we notice that the boat is driving erratically. The bow turns towards the island and the engine cuts out. Then it comes back on and the boat passes under a bridge and then starts circling.

We finally figure out that we’re in a holding pattern due to the regatta, but there’s no announcement or communication.

We sit back and enjoy the view, the sun and the calm. A whole bunch of other tourist boats are in the same predicament and I joke if any more turn up we’ll be able to walk to the shore by jumping from boat to boat. Half an hour goes by and then with a rush, the all clear is given and a different race develops as all the tourist boats head off at the same time.

Budapest Restaurant – Misto Bistro

We’re dropped off at about 6:45 and we figure we need 10-15 minutes to get to the starting point of the night bus tour and so head off to find the pick up point and then hunt down some food nearby. Ten minutes later we find the pick up point with not too much trouble, it’s on the far side of the Basilica of St Stephen.

A large open square is in front of the church, surrounded by restaurants, but we had passed a little bistro on the way and so after establishing exactly where the pickup point is, we return to the Misto Bistro and try their Tourist Menu.

Budapest Hop-On Hop-Off Night Bus Tour

And so on to the Night Bus Tour (again part of the Budapest Hop-On Hop-Off ticket)! We confirm with the ticket checker that we can get off on the Buda side, because the second to last stop is at the Citadel and we want to get off as close to our hotel as possible. We’re assured that even though it’s at night, its still a Hop-On Hop-Off bus so that won’t be a problem.

The bus is the same sort as we took for our day time tour and as it sets off we notice that the commentary is the same, and the route is the same. Sure, some of the sights are prettier in the night time, but we very quickly come to the conclusion that it’s just not worth it. If we hadn’t been using the tour as a trip to our hotel, we would have gotten off much earlier!

It also doesn’t help that the iPhones we use aren’t the best in low light, so it’s not like we can capture those few sights that are enhanced from the night time lighting.

Once we arrive at the Citadel I go down and ask if we will be stopping anywhere closer to the castle and am told that they’re will be an unscheduled stop right beside the Széchenyi Chain Bridge. I’m very happy to hear that as the funicular is there, which will save us climbing all those stairs to reach the castle level! Bonus!

Budapest Funicular

The funicular consists of two single carriage trains which go up the tracks on an angle. It’s a bit pricey, but I figure we’re tired and the last thing we need is a thousand steps right now. The views are quite spectacular also!

You get a choice of three seating areas and we decide that the first one provides the best views, so settle in and enjoy the ride up.

At the top of the hill we take a few photos and then head towards the hotel. We stop off at Fisherman’s Bastion for a few photos – at that time the ticket booths aren’t manned allowing us full access for free!

Day Three

Hospital in the Rock

Budapest is built on hot springs which manifest themselves in the many baths dotted around the city. But the water also carves out caves in the hills of Buda, making natural labyrinths which were turned into a hospital for World War II and then into a Nuclear Bunker in the Communist era. Unfortunately the hospital got a lot of use in the Siege of Budapest and then again in the Hungarian Revolution in 1956.

Unfortunately they don’t allow photography inside, but I guess the exhibits would lose their impact if you could see them online before going. It’s a great tour which takes an hour and takes you through both the hospital part as well as the nuclear bunker part. Our guide was nursing a sore throat, sipping honeyed tea as we went through, but it didn’t have any effect on her volume – no problems hearing her!

After we finished the tour we headed back to our hotel and checked out. We then grabbed a bus across to Pest to our next night’s accommodation, City Hotel Pilvax Budapest – one of the cheap hotels in Budapest that we’d booked because of its central location.  

After settling in we headed out to find something to eat – I had spied a burger place on the way in and so we retraced our steps.

Budapest Restaurant – Kajahu

We walk into Kajahu and again (see Vapiano above) aren’t greeted immediately and shown to a table. Instead eventually one of the wait staff spy us looking lost and pretty much tell us to find any vacant table. As we start to sit down I notice that the table has a screen under glass and a touch pad below it. I start to get an inkling how things work here. A silly grin sets in as I’m proved right.

 So you can order what you like from the monitor at your table and then the wait staff bring it to you. So far, so straightforward. The fun stuff comes with the additional things you can do. There are animated stories and videos for the kids, and you can do a grocery shop for you to collect at the end of your meal.

But my favourite is that you can chat with other people. You can type messages for broadcast to all, or you can use a seating map to figure out who you want to chat with and chat directly with them. The only negative is that the interface for typing messages is very clunky which would make conversing stilted.

Special mention must be made of the dessert – a cheesecake in a jar. The topping and base are as you would expect, but the filling is a party in our mouths – delicious!!

We head back to the hotel to do some work – only venturing out later that evening for dinner. Ange mentions she’s keen on some Asian food as we pass a cheap and cheerful place, but we go past until we are in the touristy area and are bombarded with touts encouraging us to try their bistro.

None of them have Asian food on the menu so we do the sensible thing and head back away from the touristy area and back to the original restaurant we had passed.

Budapest Restaurant – Aroy-Thai

There are lots of places for cheap eats in Budapest, as we’ve been discovering, and for our last meal in in the city we choose Aroy-Thai just around the corner from our hotel. I have the Pad Thai with pork and Ange has the Yellow Chicken Curry. Delicious, quick and reasonably priced, we really couldn’t fault it. So tasty!

Day Four

Budapest Baths Gellert

We had some time before I had to go to the airport for my flight back to London and we wanted to go to the famous Gellert Baths – primarily to contrast with our experience with the Széchenyi Baths. Both are served by public transport, but whereas Széchenyi is on the Millennial line, with what must be one of the oldest undergrounds still running, Gellert is served by a brand new station.

The changing rooms themselves operate on the pretty much the same system as Széchenyi with the exception that the locks have a knob on them that you push with the wristband/watch and so lock or unlock accordingly.

While the buildings are more impressive and the wave pool enticing at Gellert, I actually preferred the sheer number of pools at Széchenyi: I think there were more people at Széchenyi when we went and being able to spread them out meant that it didn’t feel quite so crowded.

I asked Ange what she thought given that she had been to three baths, and she agreed that Széchenyi took first spot for the same reasons I gave and then she put Gellert above Rudas because there were more options for pools – though she went on a women’s only day so was only allowed to go in the main pool.

It’s worth mentioning that we used the discount booklet that we got with the Hop-On Hop-Off bus ticket to get 500 HUF off each of the tickets to Széchenyi and Gellert, which we thought was good value.

 Before leaving we paused at the onsite cafe to replenish our strength, and then it was back across the river yet again for me to collect my luggage and for Ange to check into her next accommodation Colors Budapest Hostel.

I splurged on a cab for the airport which cost me £25. I was surprised that the driver didn’t speak much English, but we muddled through and he was impressed when I said kosomon (thank you) to him at the end of the trip. It was the only word of Hungarian that I managed to learn in my entire stay.

Would I Go Back?

I keep going back to Budapest – this was my third trip. It’s freezing in winter and boiling in summer. It’s got a lengthy disturbing history and an…interesting…approach to customer service! The prices are cheap and there are a million Budapest tourist attractions to do, so yes, I can see myself returning at some point in the future!

The post Visiting Budapest: Hotels, Restaurants, Tourist Attractions & Baths appeared first on etrip.tips.

My final accommodation for Budapest is a one night stay in Colors Hostel. I had previously booked this to be at City Rooms but I didn’t feel like going back there. Ironically it happens to be directly across the road. I figure it’s an interesting exercise to compare the two budget accommodation experiences.

On booking at the hostel I received an email with clear instructions on what to do, what money they needed to pay and deposit etc. Much clearer than City Rooms. It also has a lift and stairwell lighting which was appreciated.

We arrive too early for check in and leave my baggage on a shelf around the corner of the lounge where various people are hanging out. I decide to take my backpack with me but Chris trusts the clientele and leaves his there.

We head to Gellert Baths for a few hours #Gellert id=Gellert Baths to fill in time and have a relaxing soak. It’s been a full on week for me in Budapest so it’s nice to chill out at the end.

We arrive back at 2.50pm and a lively  Hungarian girl with an American twang checks me in. It’s a hostel but they also have double rooms and at €20 per night it’s a steal. They also take a €10 deposit for the keys which you get back on check out. Chris also takes the opportunity to get her to order him a taxi to the airport, it will cost 7.000 HUF which he says is reasonable.

Room

We head over to an adjoining building and up another lift to the 3rd floor. There’s a bit of a unwieldy key system with a tag to buzz in the main door, a key to the apartment main door, a deadbolt key and a key to the room itself which also opens the bathroom.

The main living area is sparsely furnished but spacious and there’s a kitchen (no washing machine though, apparently the booking.com photos need to be updated). My room (no.1) is also sparse but adequately furnished but seems clean. It overlooks a neighbouring apt building with a view that leaves something to be desired but I have Venetian blinds to block it out.

The bathroom is for my own use and there only seems to be one other room (no.2) which also has its own bathroom. There are signs saying to keep all doors locked even if you’re there so when Chris leaves I go out to take a ride on tram no.2 which goes along the waterfront to visit the Shoes on the Danube memorial.

I take care to lock my room, the apartment front door and deadbolt it too. But I can’t remember which way is to open and which way is to lock so spend some time going left and right with both keys before I get the right combination.

Afterwards I go for dinner at Grinzings just across the way which I went to last Monday night when I was at City Rooms and which serves Hungarian food. I order the Hensoup (chicken noodle soup) and the stuffed cabbage and enjoy both. Though there is an extra charge of 190 HUF on the bill which I ponder over briefly but figure it must be for service.

Back at the apartment the other occupants arrive back and there’s momentary clatter of keys, footsteps and more keys as they lock everything up as required. The bed is reasonably comfortable though the pillow feels like it’s been filled with foam chips but it’s not enough to hinder my sleep.

Breakfast

After getting up and showering the next morning I head over to the main lounge for the complimentary breakfast going through the whole unlocking  and locking business again. The receptionist the day before mentioned apologetically that it wasn’t much and she was right. A few plastic tubs of cereal, milk and bread (that you can toast) butter and two different types of jam, and coffee for those who drink it. The tables are set up with the bread, butter and jams and commandeered with two guys on each so I grab a bowl of cereal and perch on the couch. Then grab a piece of bread from the table and toast it and spread with a blackcurrant jam the consistency of marmite but which my nose tells me is fruit.

Guests are asked to wash their own dishes which I do but no one dries them with the tea towel as it’s a grubby affair that looks like it’s been used to clean a chimney. I do as others do and use the drying rack instead, hopefully preventing some infectious disease. I head back over to the apartment (unlocking/locking) to pack and then back to main area (unlocking/locking) to check out and grab my deposit before catching metro to the airport.

Pros and Cons

Would I Go Back?

As with all budget end accommodation in Budapest the hostel is cheap but a little rough around the edges. So it’s fine for one night but if I was staying for longer I’d pay a little more for something a bit nicer.

The post Review: Colors Budapest Hostel appeared first on etrip.tips.

The room

The room has aged well – a CRT TV squats on the minbar and the decor has a timeless feel to it, but the most important thing is that its clean. And the bed is comfortable. the bathroom is serviceable also.

Unfortunately the hotel is right outside a local Irish bar but while the customers are a little on the loud side, they do vacate the premises at a reasonable hour. The lack of a lift along with the amount of walking and stair climbing we do make the return in the evening a painful process!

The breakfast

The breakfast though, is where the Pilvax shines. Our expectations weren’t high, but they were verys oon exceeded: there was the standard continental offerings of cereals, cold cuts and bread. But we were surprised that a budget hotel would also provide eggs and sausages also. An additional surprise were the array of assorted pastries. A nod to the budget mindedness of our fellow guests was given by a sign saying not to take food out of the dining room

Pros and Cons

Would I Go Back

The Pilvax is perfectly serviceable – if I needed a central Pest hotel on a budget, I wouldn’t hesitate to go back.

The City Hotel Pilvax  supported our Summer 2017: UNESCO tour by providing a discounted stay. All opinions remain our own.

The post Review: City Hotel Pilvax Budapest appeared first on etrip.tips.

We’d been lucky so far with inner city luxury brands (see: NH Collection Berlin), and the Kempinski was no exception. We arrived and the entrance was maybe 50m from the Metro station exit and we were greeted by an enormous revolving door entrance, which deposited us into the lobby. We approached the desk and checked if our room was ready, and were told that they’d check. We asked if someone would come and get us when they found out to which they agreed. We then went off to take some photos of the surrounds.

The lobby backs onto a bar and restaurant and includes a florist and ample seating areas – perfect for an impromptu meeting – lots of natural light and privacy.

We got back to reception and grabbed a seat and waited. And waited. I wasn’t quite sure what was taking so long and went back up to the desk to be told that, yes, our room was ready. Obviously a slight communication break down – I’d expected someone to find us when the room was ready. Not the end of the world. And so we headed up to our room.

Room

We’re on the fifth floor overlooking the park, and the room is lovely. Sumptuous decor and quality everywhere – really nice. The bathroom has the hotel’s name-brand toiletries and robes.

We look at the desk and the reading material includes a thick coffee-table style hardback book on the Kempinski brand plus a plethora of brochures and pamphlets. We already had an idea of what we wanted to do so we headed straight out for our Hop On Hop Off bus tour.

When we came back we headed straight back out to explore the central city’s food offerings. We’d briefly flirted with the idea of eating at one of the hotel restaurants Nobu, but the prices were at the top end of the market so went out to find something a little more our price range.

Spa

Upon our return from dinner we went exploring the facilities and stuck our nose into the health centre. OMG: talk about everything you could want and more! For a start there is a long corridor with about six massage rooms on each side, half with two massage tables for couples massages, half with just one. At the end of the corridor is the gym – not just a treadmill, rowing machine and a few hand weights – this had the full set up with multiple machines, multiple racks of hand weights, treadmills and exercycles all in front of full length mirrors.

Suitably impressed we headed back up the hallway to the pool, which is a decent size, past the relaxation area towards the sauna area and an amusing sign indicating that we were entering a “Sauna Nudist Area”. Inside are a tepidarium, three sauna/steam rooms (aroma, sauna and steam) of various temperatures and a foot bathing area with an ice chute.

Ok: we definitely have to try those out  – we nip upstairs and get changed and then head on down to try the pool. At one end is a giant tap like I had seen at the thermal baths, so I knew water would come out with sufficient force as to massage your neck head and shoulders, so i set about trying to find the button to switch it on.

I furrowed my brow and tried to figure out the puzzle. There was no button on the apparatus, so I spread my search further afield and lo: there on the wall near the entrance were three buttons. Stabbing blindly at them, the apparatus coughed into life with a powerful jet of water, but my attention was captured by a jet under the water coming out of the wall of the pool just beneath me.

I looked down and there were metal handles on each side of it: seeming to me to be for holding so you could force the jet to play along your back. Ooooh yeah – that’s exactly what it’s for and Ange giggles as the various looks of ecstasy play across my face. The pool isn’t hot – maybe best described as tepid, so before long we make our way through the relaxation area to the “Sauna Nudist Area”. I loved the little touches like the rack for holding your glasses while you’re sauna-ing.

We spend an enjoyable time in the sauna and steam room before retiring to the tepidarium which seems to me to be a pair of tiled, contoured couches in a slightly warmer than normal room. Very relaxing though, and it takes one of the attendants knocking on the window before we realise it’s now 10 pm, closing time!

The following morning we breakfast on muesli bars we bought at the local supermarket and then head back out to explore Budapest after leaving our luggage with the doorman. Upon our return we realise that they’ve switched off the revolving door and entry is now via a normal door within the revolving door – we’re momentarily nonplussed by the change!

Pros and Cons

Would I Go Back?

If I’m in Budapest and wanted a central (Pest) hotel with all the bells and whistles, I’d love to stay at the Kempinski. It’s a toss up whether to rave the most about the facilities, the location or the decor – I’ll have to give it to the facilities though – pool, gym and sauna complex!

The Kempinski supported our Summer 2017: UNESCO tour by providing a discounted stay. All opinions remain our own.

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Have you ever wanted to stay in a palace? A stay in the St. George Residence All Suite Hotel Deluxe might be as close as you can get. It’s actually a 14th Century merchant’s house which was converted into an inn in the height of Budapest’s importance in the 18th Century, but the sumptuous decor and extensive marble floors give a very palatial feel. Very high ceilings,  bright chandeliers and a light palette give the room an airy feel and there’s plenty of space. The room included a kitchenette: great for long stays.

The bathroom boasts a full length bath with a headrest and Keiji toiletries including bath salts. The one down side I found was there was no holder for the shower head, leading to a one handed washing in the morning. Not the end of the world but an unusual omission.

Breakfast

Breakfast was an interesting experience. The actual breakfast part is nice enough: a pleasing array of cereals, breads and fruits. The interesting part was the addition of a menu of hot dishes for an additional €5 each which just seemed a little… odd. We ordered some eggs each and can assure you that the food itself was delicious – it just seems strange to charge extra for the hot food when the breakfast at other hotels don’t.

The weather was a little inclement which was a pity because the courtyard would have made a delightful dining area – there’s a huge old tree along with a cannon and while there are umbrellas we decided we’d prefer to eat inside.

Facilities

After breakfast we had a wander around the building. On the top floor is a lounge area with a table tennis table and comfortable chairs which looked very convivial, complete with stuffed deer and exposed rafters. On the ground floor just outside reception was a large waiting room complete with an old heater of the type you see in Versaille or Schonbrunn.

A suit of armour stands guard at the entrance, but it’s when we venture downstairs that we see the cool banqueting hall and bar which really pushes home the medieval credentials of the hotel. It really does evoke scenes from the Middle Ages.

Pros and Cons

Would I Go Back?

If I needed to stay in comfort in Buda, this is where I would stay. You just can’t go past the sumptuousness of the decor and furnishings – there’s marble everywhere!

The St Georges Residences supported our Summer 2017: UNESCO tour by providing a complimentary stay. All opinions remain our own.

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I arrived late at night, flying in from London well after public transport had stopped running, and walking past the line of people waiting for a taxi, I thank my lucky stars that Ange had suggested booking a private transfer. She’s already checked-in to the Milford Suites and had been messaging me pictures and a running commentary of what the neighbourhood was like.

Room

When I arrived I was impressed with the room: everything was clean and new, and the kitchenette was a nice touch. The room itself had the bed at one end and the kitchenette at the other with the bathroom sort of tucked away near the entrance. The decor was a mix of grey and silver, with the kitchenette all chrome surfaces – very executive!

I liked it – it looks like they have gone for the executive long stay market and the rooms have everything you might need for that. There are one or two things showing that the refurbishment hasn’t quite finished – the wires protruding fro the wall above the doorway being the most obvious, but the elegance of the decor and furnishings is nice.

Ange had mentioned that the fan in the bathroom had not stopped since she arrived, and so I stick my head into the room and lo and behold there is a low rumble as the fan works to clear the bathroom of condensation which doesn’t exist. Apparently the handyman will come and fix it after we leave. It’s audible from the room but doesn’t affect our sleep, so I think it’s ok.

Neighbourhood

Neighbourhoods mean a lot with a stay – Milford Suites is in the middle of the Buda area, halfway between the castle on top of the hill and the river where the metro station is. At the metro station are the local shops and restaurants and Ange lets me know that there’s a good vegan place there Édeni Vegán where she enjoyed a meal of vegan meat, grilled veggies, a falafel patty and rice.

Breakfast

The breakfast room has a roster – certain rooms sit at certain times. We head down within our times slot and see why – the breakfast room is a lovely annex with sun roof and glass walls to allow the light in. It’s raining when we eat, but it’s a lovely space if a tad cramped. The roster is necessary – should all guests be there at the same time it would be carnage!

The food itself is a respectable continental breakfast with cold cuts, fruit, yoghurt and breads. The jams are from Transylvania and there’s a little sign telling you who made what – a very personal touch we haven’t seen anywhere else.

Facilities

There isn’t much more in the way of facilities – while the room has a kitchenette and the decor and style touches are of high quality, there aren’t any saunas or swimming pools. I think the location makes up for that in a lot of ways: being in Buda you don’t have to travel too far before you’re at a public bath or two, and being handy to the castle on the top of the hill is nice too.

Pros and Cons

Would I Go Back?

If I needed to be close to the castle or wanted a nice spot for a long stay in Budapest, I think this would be a lovely spot. The lack of gym would mean I’d need to watch that breakfast each morning, but the number of steps getting to the hotel from the water/metro level should take care of that.

Milford Suites supported our Summer 2017: UNESCO tour by providing a complimentary stay. All opinions remain our own.

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I’m a couple of hours early but my room is ready and the check-in process goes smoothly. I’m on the 3rd floor so I use the lift provided. It’s tiny, only taking three people at a time, but feels safe enough.

Room

My room is pleasant and huge with french doors that open onto small balcony that has a view right next to the arch. The colour scheme is a soft blue and grey with black lacquered fittings. The bathroom is also generous with black shiny marble floors and a bathtub. The bathroom window looks out onto nearby apartment buildings so net curtains and a drape are thoughtfully provided.  The bed is firm but I get an alright night’s sleep and there’s enough complimentary toiletries in the bathroom to keep me happy.

Food & Surrounds

There are plenty of eateries in the vicinity and on arrival I partake of a pastry proscuitto item from a corner bakery before exploring Király utca which is known for its interior design stores, clothing and trinket shops.

Late afternoon brings on a stonking thunderstorm with lightning flashes and cracking thunder, the works, and I have a front row seat from my room. It lasts for around 1.5 hours, the longest thunderstorm I think I’ve experienced, until eventually I have to go out as I get too hungry.

I grab my umbrella and leg it to the nearest cafe, a French boulangerie for a quick quiche and salad. It’s still pouring down but after a while it eases and I head back to the room. The coloured fountain lights in the plaza are on and are fascinating to watch.

The breakfast is complimentary and the room itself is on the 5th floor. Initially I’m taken aback by the size and stateliness of it. Previously a conference room, it’s quite mesmerising and commands a great view of the surrounding streets. Breakfast itself is a great buffet spread with lots of choice; cold continental style or hot cooked.

Pros and Cons

Would I Go Back?

There are some great things about this hotel, such as the architecture, location and the breakfast, and a few things that niggle, because it’s a 4 star, such as the wear and tear of the decor, the room lighting and the empty mini bar. With a few licks of paint, a full mini bar and some stronger lightbulbs the hotel would be hitting the mark more squarely.

Arcadia Hotel Budapest supported our Summer 2017: UNESCO tour by providing a complimentary stay. All opinions remain our own.

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I arrive at Keleti station in Budapest, get out some Hungarian Forints and head off to the metro. I don’t get very far as I’m promptly yelled at by a metro machine because I insert a 10,000 HUF note into its slot to buy one x 350 HUF ticket. Hmmm, perhaps something smaller is needed, or more tickets need to be bought. I wander back to the information counter at the station and buy 10 tickets for 3,000 HUF. No one yells, so I head back to the metro again to access the inner city of the Pest side.

I make another rookie mistake by getting off at Deák Ferenc tér instead of Ferenciek tere and where I’m greeted by a line of ticket inspectors busily checking for interlopers. I show my validated ticket and I’m through, but by that time I’ve realised I’m at the wrong station and my iPhone chooses that exact moment to run out of battery.

Luckily I’ve managed to get off at one of the most important tourist stations so there’s a Budapest Info Centre, manned by a very bored girl, and an Information Point, manned by a guy who looks slightly like Ben Affleck. From the first I grab a map and, from the second, instructions on what direction to walk to Veres Pálné utca where I’ve booked two nights in City Rooms.

Eventually I reach the place and am faced with an old, weathered wooden door that’s firmly locked and which has a door code with instructions in Hungarian. I figure out I need to push #33 so I do, half a dozen times, and no one answers. Am I doing something wrong? Probably – it seems to be the case so far since I arrived in Hungary.

Then a couple come along and push the same number and enter through the door. I find out they are indeed staying in the same place so I trundle along behind them. We reach a dark spiral staircase and the guy says ‘It’s on the 3rd floor, I may need to help you’, then promptly doesn’t at all, leaving me to heft my bag up three floors in the gloom. They do leave the door open for me at the top.

I look around but can’t see any receptionist, I’m beginning to think I should’ve double checked instructions. The guy comes out of his room and I ask him what the story is. He says you have to ring and make an appointment, and that when they arrived at 7.30am they were sent away and told to come back at 2pm. Since it’s now 5.30pm I’m guessing I’m somewhat later than check-in hours.

I find a power point, charge my phone, get connected to the free WiFi which is pasted to a noticeboard and send an email to the property. I pretty much immediately get one back saying I should’ve been there at 2pm and to wait for check-in please. I reply politely asking what time they will come, reply comes back ’30 mins’.

When the receptionist arrives I give a cheerful hello but I’m cut short by her “you need to close the door”. Then I’m given the third degree “You should’ve been here at 2pm, we waited 2 hours.” I apologise and think “Wow I really did need to check instructions”. She then proceeds to check me in but doesn’t accept card for the payment. It’s 18,300 HUF but I only have 17,000 left after the 3,000 metro ticket purchase.

There’s an ATM down the road, she says, so “do it”. “Um huh?” Oh, get cash out right? So I leave my luggage and feeling chastened trundle down the road to the ATM. I come back feeling like I should give her a bottle of the free wine for the trouble I’ve caused. But I’m asked to wait outside as she has ‘other guests’. When she’s finished with them I’m allowed inside, and the offer of the free wine fades as now I’m feeling a bit like she’s just a control freak.

Anyway check-in proceeds and I’m shown the room, given the keycard and instructions for the door and left to it. She seems slightly mollified after I’ve paid the full amount.

Room

I booked a double room for two nights but there’s also larger triple and quadruple rooms. In total there’s six rooms in total on the floor. My room is spacious enough with a parquet floor and there’s a large single (I wouldn’t really call it a double) bed, and a single which I use for my luggage. There’s a fridge (which isn’t working), a TV, a table and a wardrobe. There’s a shared bathroom set up outside in the corridor with 2 separate WCs and two showers, there’s also a small kitchenette at the other end of the corridor with a kettle, washing machine and cups and cutlery.

Surrounds

The street Veres Pálné is 5 mins walk from a main thoroughfare which leads to Erzsébet híd (Elisabeth Bridge). The neighbourhood is quite quiet, though you can hear street noise, people talking from down below through the windows and cars etc. In terms of eateries, the local bar/restaurant for the rooms is Grinzingi Borozó on the corner at which I have goulash soup and pancakes on the second night. It’s cheapish and the waiters are obliging (if they don’t always understand what you’re trying to say).

Other stores include a gelato shop, a traditional cafe, a green grocers and a Chinese restaurant / takeaway. I recommend the latter as a last resort, I had the duck with noodles on the first night and it was not the best. There are more places to eat on the main street such as the Pointer Restaurant but it charges more as it’s a franchise. Case in point, the goulash soup there cost 1,800 HUF whereas I paid 940 HUF at Grinzingi.

Rudas Baths

I happened to be in the neighbourhood of the Rudas Baths, which is one of the oldest Turkish baths in Budapest built around 1550, and the day after I arrived (Tuesday) was women’s only day for the thermal bath.

This is situated in a room with an octagonal dome which is shot through with coloured squares of glass. So you have the option of the large main pool 36C, or a range of 4 smaller pools round the edge of varying temperatures, 11C, 28C, 30C, 42C.  There is also a steam room at 50C and a shower area with a ice bucket shower (where screams emanated periodically when someone was brave enough to pull the lever).

Women’s only day was introduced in 2006 where you can bare the flesh safe from the prying eyes of men but you can still don a bathing suit too if you’re shy. Mostly Hungarians, Italians and a few Japanese go suitless. It’s a case of spot the tourist in the bathing suit.

I was impressed with the secure lockers , you get a wrist band which you hold up to a machine which allocates you a locker number. These are full size wooden changing rooms with a bench and hooks, and you can safely leave your things inside. After changing into your bathing suit (or birthday suit) you hold up the wristband to the box on the outside and it locks securely.

The Rudas Baths also offer a swimming pool and a rooftop jacuzzi with panoramic views but they are on different tickets.

Pros and Cons

Would I Go Back?

I actually had another night booked at City Rooms before I was due to fly to Venice but I cancelled it and found something else; Colors Hostel across the street. In general City Rooms was ok and I know I was partly to blame with not reading the fine print properly on booking.com about informing them exactly when I was arriving. But the attitude of the proprietor/receptionist, and the scary staircase, made one stay enough for me.

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Budapest is one of my favourite European cities. There is something about it that is eager to please: if you don’t like Buda, it seems to say, then why not cross the Danube and try my twin Pest instead? I liked both. Even more, I liked how cheap the flights were with Ryanair and how little a decent hotel cost; even the swanky Art Nouveau Hotel Gellért, the grand old lady of Budapest’s hotels, came in at under £100 a night.

This time, however, I’d opted for an even more affordable apartment right across the square from Café Gerbeaud; the Royal Danube promised to blend contemporary living with good old fashioned style and best of all, was right near the subway station.

Getting around Budapest

Metro Line 1, Budapest’s oldest, was worth a ride just for a ride’s sake. The oldest of the city’s underground railway routes, it has run continuously since 1896, second in age only to the London Underground. Its heritage wooden rolling stock is still in day to day use, carrying over 100,000 people to and from work every day. It even had its own UNESCO listing. Later in my trip, it would take me to the House of Terror where I’d learn about the country’s Communist past but today, given the weather, I wanted to walk.

From Vörösmarty square, it was an easy stroll to the Danube and along to the famous Széchenyi Chain Bridge, which when it opened in 1849 was the first to link the two halves of the city. The bridge conveniently leads to the Castle Hill Funicular, on the hillier Buda side of the river.

I was grateful for the ride: although the views were spectacular from the top, the climb up wouldn’t have been kind to creaking middle-aged knees. It was no wonder the queue snaked back to the bridge. At the top of the funicular perched the castle. It housed the National Art Gallery but the best panorama was right there in its gardens: the view over the city.

Vehicle access to the castle district is restricted, making this one of the most atmospheric places in the city to walk, its cobbled streets lined with museums, cafes and shops. Admittedly, the area is tourist central what with the castle and the changing of the guard, but it’s still irresistible, not least for the wine tastings on offer at the Faust Cellar in the caves beneath. I’m a sucker for Hungary’s sweet Tokaji wine.

At Fisherman’s Bastion, Buda’s iconic fairytale terrace, I wasn’t tempted to pay the admission fee to get inside the towers, nor to have an overpriced snack in the terrace cafe; the next section offered the same views but was free to access.

From the lofty vantage point, I could watch the barges drift along the river in front of Pest’s Parliament Building; the Danube is still determinedly a working river. Parliament is the country’s largest building and, like the British equivalent, constructed in Gothic Revival style. I Googled who had copied who and was pleased to find we’d got in first.

The Number 16 bus took me back down to the river. Budapest has something of a reputation for its transit system catching out “fare dodging” tourists who forget to validate their ticket on the city’s buses and trams. Last time I’d almost been caught out, needing the help of several of my fellow tram passengers to figure out the tricky ticket validator.

This time, I was taking no chances and carried a day pass. I was grateful for the transport map I’d picked up at the airport information counter; it had me hopping on and off buses like a local and I was soon at the market across town.

Strings of paprika, the key ingredient of Hungary’s signature dish goulash, hung from many of the stalls but it was the warm, flaky pastries I’d set my sights on as I refuelled. This area was to provide dinner too; the Bálna riverfront warehouse conversion – or in English, the Whale – was the Budapest cityscape’s most recent architectural addition and home to several trendy eateries.

Taking the waters

After such a long day of walking, I woke up the following morning to find my muscles craved only one thing: warm water. Fortunately, this is what sets Budapest apart from the other great cities of the Habsburg Empire. It boasts an incredible 118 hot springs which provide over 70 million litres of deliciously toasty water every day with temperatures starting at a comfortable 21°C and rising as high as anyone can tolerate.

Taking the waters is the essential Budapest experience and there are around 15 public baths scattered around the city in addition to the private spas.

Each has its own niche: the sprawling Széchenyi thermal baths feature a sizeable swimming pool for serious exercise (and a guided tour for those who don’t want to get wet), historic Rudas with its 16th century domed Turkish centre piece opens late on weekends to suit night owls, while the wave pool and slides of the Palatinus Bath make this one a firm favourite with children.

Spoilt for choice, I opted for the Lukacs Baths, a bit of a trek but reputedly the most popular with locals. The ageing building flaked egg-yolk yellow paint onto the floor like dandruff and looked like it hadn’t been renovated for decades, but it more than delivered on atmosphere, value and the number of people speaking Magyar. Reinvigorated, it was time to hit the streets again.

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